Poem for life on earth
The past few weeks have certainly been quite a ride for humanity with the 9.0 earthquake in Japan, and subsequent tsumanis and fears of nuclear radiation. I invite you to give yourself a deep breath in this moment, feeling your body and connecting to the source of all life.
When the world events began to unfold, I was traveling for work on the coast of Central and Southern California. Though I haven’t written poetry in a while, I needed a way to process my experience, and to balance the external circumstances with my own inner knowing.
I feel drawn to pass this poem along – melancholy and all – as we all process various shifts on so many levels. I believe it’s time for us all to go out of our comfort zones to share our hearts and any glimmers of hope we find in the smallest places.
The soft exhale
The beaches are empty.
Monday stretches for miles
as I practice pirouettes
on damp morning sand.
My body becomes
a compass, one leg anchored,
the other extended out, foot
pointed. With ballet toes
I trace semi-circles
on the shoreline. This
is the distance between here
and Japan. A simple
imperfect arc
over the Pacific.
People around the world are
mourning. The jet stream
carries the current
news to the west. There is concern
that even flowers will need
to hold their breath.
Near seaweed rope
I notice the tiniest blossom.
Like a lone forget-me-not,
it is dressed for spring
in shades of Sunday pink.
I imagine the bud
sighing
a soft exhale.
The horizon line
is still. Filling my lungs
with coastal air, I walk
toward Tuesday.
By Jennifer Mathews – March 25, 2011